KEEPING UP THE MOMENTUM
July 14, 2010
As most of my other Max Muscle friends, I haven't slowed down since the contest ended, I am actually more charged up and motivated. I have set new goals and completing this contest was a major factor in giving me the confidence and drive to move forward to more challenges. I will still be active on this site because I have learned so much from other members and have made some great friends. I have started recruiting friends/family/coworkers to enter this contest next year and I will definitely be there for support for them and other new MyMaxmuscle members that are on the fence about entering a contest like this. Its not an easy thing to do; I remember taking my starting pictures and how I really didn't want to post them for anyone to see. However, after I did, it just made me more determined to work harder and make my goals a reality. As time passed and I started to see more progress, I got charged up all over again to work hard and stay committed. So for those of you that participated in the 2010 contest, CONGRATULATIONS for sharing this experience with me, for your kind words and advice. For those of you that dropped out or are on the fence about entering next year, you CAN do this. Use this site as a means of support and encouragement from other members. Talk to your Max Muscle nutrition specialists and find out what products will work best for you and your goals. If you can't work with a trainer, or can't make it to the gym, don't let that stop you. I did a lot of my workouts at home and somehow fit it in to my hectic schedule. I learned how to get creative with limited space and equipment. I can share some suggestions with you on how to get a great workout at home and my experiences with various items I tried from informercials..some good, some not so good. Bottom line, focus on what you CAN do than what you can't. Be positive..patient and take that first step towards commiting to a healthy lifestyle.

MAY’S FINAL STATS 29 Jun 10 – Here are my final stats for this contest..although I am continuing to train, maintain a clean diet and of course using my Max Muscle products. This contest has given me the confidence to pursue other goals. I am really proud of myself and also of my Max Muscle friends. The MyMaxmuscle site has been a great source of advice, support and encouragement.

27 JUN 10 - Final pictures uploaded. I will sign on later to update stats and post final articles...

22 Jun 10 I just wanted to say Congratulations to all the Max Musclers that have worked so hard to meet (and exceed) their fitness goals. It has been an amazing journey and from to blogs/articles on this site, it's just the beginning of a healthier lifestyle. We have all learned so much about the importance of nutrition, supplements and working out on a regular basis..and we have all reaped the benefits of establishing these habits..i.e. gaining self confidence, losing weight/inches/body fat, learning how to ‘multi-task’/plan ahead, cook healthy meals, developing proper form when lifting weights, following through on goals of running marathons, beating your Pr, learning about supplements and how/when to take them as well as how to use them to achieve your fitness goals. I have been a Max Muscle customer for several years and by being a contestant in this Maxformation, I have had the opportunity to try out different types of supplements and find out which ones work best for me. I have read articles written by other members and saw how everyone’s ‘stack’ is uniquely tailored for their level of fitness, goals and also that throughout the process, the ‘stack’ can change as the body develops further. I have been seriously thinking about taking some classes to become a certified personal trainer. I have always had a passion for fitness and want to learn even more. My friends, family and coworkers have all been asking me what I have been doing and what’s my ‘secret’. Some of them work out regularly but can’t lose the weight or inches. I tell all of them, its no secret, its basically nutrition and supplements. You can work out all day long and do 1,000 crunches, but if you don’t eat right and you aren’t supplementing your diet, you will not lose the ‘belly fat’. Timing and balancing out your meal plans are also very important. I have referred friends and family to Max Muscle products and some of them may even enter this contest next year. It feels great to be an inspiration for people to look at me and say, “Hey if May can do it, I can too.” This Maxformation contest has allowed me to touch other people’s lives in a positive way by sharing my experiences, trials and tribulations during the past 6 months and showing them that hard work, determination and dedication are key to achieving any goal in life. I have to thank my family first and foremost for being so supportive with my crazy workout schedule along with all the races and training I have been doing; Alan from the Max Muscle La Jolla store for sharing his thorough knowledge of the MM supplements, nutrition plans and taking my BF and weight every week, my totally awesome trainer, Marcus, for kicking up my workouts to another level and being so ‘nice’&#61514;; my friends for their encouragement and support , my daughter, Kaliyah, who is my Official Maxformation 2010 photographer and stylest, and of course MAX MUSCLE for putting on this contest and allowing all of us to use your products and knowledgeable nutritionists in achieving and exceeding our goals.

18 Jun 10 Week-17-18 Update: No change in stats at this time. I have made some meal plan changes to get more aggressive with losing BF, but have hit a plateau and its being very stubborn. Regardless, I am going to finish strong as I do in anytthing I set my mind to...once again its that Taurus in me that will keep me focused and get me to the finish line...

5 Jun 10 Week 15-16 Update: The past couple of weeks have been busy and productive. I have been able to maintain my workout schedule and nutrition, although I definitely need to change it up before my final pics. I am not going to post final pics until the later this month. My friends and family have been very supportive with their votes. However, I have noticed that even though I get more votes, the % goes down. I guess that means that I am getting some lower ratings…hopefully my final pics will make a difference for those of you who haven’t voted yet. During the last week in May, I went to watch my former trainer compete in a Pro Cal State figure competition in Culver City. She looked amazing and is still my ‘idol’. I took my daughter with me and she had a blast. She’s already helping me with my ‘quarter turns’. …oh and reminding me to move my hair to the side..lol..There were other divisions also that were fun to watch. I took note of how they moved, turned, posed, etc.. I could pick out the gals that looked like they had been doing this for a while. They were confident and presented themselves well. Others, not so well..there was this one girl that just kept swaying her arms and hips. She looked great, but the judges moved her to the far side..I wonder if it was because the swaying was kind of distracting. I noticed only one girl that had tattoos. Either the other girls didn’t have any or they tanned dark enough to cover them up. It was a good learning experience for me. By looking at the girls in the division that I would be in, I have a lot of work to do to be competition ready. I couldn’t stay for the evening show because I had to get up early for the most challenging trail run race I have ever ran, Xterra Mission Trails 15K. I had a blast except I cramped up really bad in my calves and hamstrings so I had to walk it off for the last 3 miles. I kept trying to run because I really wasn’t tired, but because of the rocks, slippery/uneven ground, I kept cramping, so I powerwalked to the finish. Next year I will wear some lightweight hiking boots for traction. The hills were so steep but I got my breathing down and got into a rhythm and kept on inching my way uphill..it was awesome and what a great view. I normally can make good time running downhill and it gives me a chance to rest, but going downhill on very steep mountains with rocks was too difficult to go fast without twisting my ankle. I felt the rocks under my trail running shoes also and it made my feet ache. I had to stop a few times to stretch and hydrate because I was in a lot of pain with my calves. At one point I kinda got lost off of the trail and ended up on a rock cliff..so my choices were either to go off the cliff or climb up to hopefully find my way back..I chose to climb and I finally found the trail. The course was not marked in this area, but I will definitely remember this spot next year. I know it sounds grueling, but I absolutely love challenges and use my frustration as motivation to do better and push harder. Today I went to the Rock n Roll Marathon Expo to check out the vendor booths and new products. I am not doing this race this year, but just being in the atmosphere made me want to run..:(..Tomorrow I am doing the Camp Pendleton Hard Corp Race Series Mud Run in the boots n utes division…yup, I have my military boots and camis ready to go. I did this race for the first time years ago and have been hooked ever since. On the way home tomorrow I plan on stopping by the La Jolla Max Muscle store to get my BF checked, so I will post another article with measurement updates.

22 May 2010 Week 13-14 update: Had some great workouts these past two weeks with my trainer at 24 hr fitness and finally starting to see some definition. I’ve been sticking to my meal plan and taking my supplements. Although I am eating every 2 – 3 hours I still feel hungry all the time. During the last few days, I have had issues with feeling super tired and drained. I ran at the beach on the soft sand the other day and it was awesome! I really miss running at the beach and can’t wait to get back out there. I plan on going to the California State figure competition this Saturday. I am going to watch the pre-judging, then I have to head back home and get some rest. Sunday morning I am doing an Xterra trail run. I started voting for all my Max Muscle friends that have made some amazing progress during the last few weeks. The contest rules didn’t address how the voting works. I remember when I inquired about how this contest is judged, I was told that it was the store owners that voted. I asked about what they looked for because I assumed that the winner would be judged similar to The Biggest Loser where the person that lost the most weight or BF would have a better chance at winning. I was overweight by only 10 lbs (my doctor told me my ideal weight was 115 lbs), when I started and had a high BF%, so at first, I wasn’t even going to bother to enter. I was told that the winner would be judged based on how much they have transformed their body and it didn’t necessarily have to be someone that was considered overweight. This was encouraging, so I went ahead and entered. I’m really glad I did. I had been wanting to enter this contest for a while but was unable to really commit because of my schedule and I wasn’t sure if I really could maintain a clean diet. I discovered Max Muscle stores several years ago and really loved the products. At that time, I was even contemplating becoming a franchise owner. The area I lived in needed a nutrition supplement store because there really wasn’t one in the area. Besides my day job, I have been a real estate investor for several years and was in the market to venture out from the residential real estate market and perhaps try investing in a business. As it turned out, the timing was not good. Tenants from two of my properties gave me notice to vacate and I ended up having major issues with the property in Vegas. Anyways, here I am 14 weeks into this contest. I have exceeded my weight loss goal, steady burning off BF, maintaining a clean diet, getting leaner and stronger and more motivated with each workout. As a matter of fact, I am getting ready for a leg workout and some cardio right now. Have a great evening Max Musclers and keep charging!!

9 May 2010 Week 11-12 update: The past 2 weeks have been busy as usual. I have had to work at home several nights and on weekends after working a full day at work. Although I had planned on taking advantage of my Command’s Wellness Program, I was only able to make it to the gym downstairs once. I did keep up with my scheduled workouts at home and at 24 hour, but my energy level has been extremely low. I did some interesting variations in my workout routines including using a power band (looks like a huge heavy duty rubber band) for assisted pull-ups. This was fun and easy at first, then it started getting tough because this was the first exercise of a very intense back circuit workout : 3 sets each rep range 12 – Assisted pull-ups using the power band, standing one arm cable rows, seated close grip cable row, seated wide grip cable row, standing rope row with variation in movement. Although these are basic exercises, I made some adjustments to angles and really isolated various areas of my back. I followed this with a Bicep workout that had my legs shaking..lol..started with cable curls, then hammer curls, barbell curls, reverse curls (this is with palms down holding a straight cable bar or barbell and bringing the weight upwards..this works the lower part of the bicep..believe me you will feel it the next day) .
I was reviewing my progress for the last 12 weeks and have been maintaining my weight and BF for since Apr 10…I am ok with the weight, but the BF has been stubborn. However, I have noticed changes in my appearance even though the stats have been steady. I will post my 12 week pic updates. I plan on competing an Armed Forces figure contest in Aug 10. I have been talking to a trainer at the gym at work who has been working with a group of gals that have been doing really well competing. He told me that I should be competition ready at 101-105 lbs and 10%BF. This is going to be a challenge for me, but I’m going for it. I am going to kick up the cardio and make some changes to my nutrition/workouts.

24 Apr 10 Weeks 9 & 10 update: Been extremely busy at work the past couple of weeks and have had to work at home on weekends. I wasn’t able to do the Tour de Cure ride because my hamstrings were extremely sore from a serious leg day workout. I have been working legs on Thursday and there’s just not enough recovery time for me to do my races on the weekends…I still have activities on the weekends planned, but I will be doing the shorter distances because I am focusing more on weight lifting. I will make adjustments to my leg workout schedule next time I have a race/ride on the weekend that’s for sure. My Command recently released an instruction that implemented a Wellness Program. I am allowed to work out up to 3 hours a week during work hours either at the gym in our building or I can run out by the bay and do the convention center stairs. I am definitely going to take advantage of this program. I got my stats checked at the gym at work, max muscle and at 24 hr and the results were, of course, not matching. Here are some of the varying results of the BF tests: 17% on the scale, 23% tape, 23.7% calipers, 22% electronic device, 24% calipers. My weight varied as expected, 114, 113, 115. I will continue using the Max Muscle stats for my weekly updates for consistency. I don’t think I will ever be totally sure what my BF is; as long as I see the numbers going down I am making progress. The La Jolla Max Muscle store had a great sale this past weekend and I stocked up on products. I tried a couple of new products: Iso Extreme and ARM. I plan on entering a figure competition later this summer. That means that I will have to take my BF and weight down even further than my original goals of 115 and 15-19%BF. I will be working with a trainer on a plan to get me competition ready. I’m really excited about finally making this commitment. I have to say that making the commitment to enter the Maxformation competition actually helped me realize that I CAN transform my body; it IS possible. I have learned about nutrition/supplements and have maintained a clean diet. I have stopped making excuses and have made adjustments to my schedule to allow me to maintain a structured/consistent workout schedule. I have learned to be creative when it comes to getting a good workout with limited equipment and space. I plan and fix my meals ahead of time and always keep healthy snacks with me. My progress and enthusiasm has motivated others to work out and eat healthy. I have made so many Max Muscle friends that share my passion for fitness. This has been an awesome journey and I know that it won’t end on June 30, 2010. I will continue to train and eat healthy for the rest of my life. I already feel like a winner. Thank you Max Muscle!

12 APR 10 Week 8 update: During Easter weekend, I have to admit I had a cheat meal..or should I say cheat dessert. My Mom had a potluck and when my family has a potluck we have enough food to eat for days. I ate a Filipino dessert called Bibinka. Its sweet rice with coconut milk and tons of brown sugar. Then we had dinner with friends at a Mexican restaurant in Old Town later in the week and there wasn’t anything healthy on the menu so I ordered a shrimp burrito. I planned on just eating the shrimp and some of the rice..I did pass on the chips, but when the waitress brought me the burrito it looked like it weighed about 20 pounds mostly of cheese..the tortilla couldn’t even fit on the plate! I ate a very small portion of it, but ate more when we got home that evening. I did work extra hard on the cardio the next few days because I didn’t want to weigh in at Max Muscle and find that I have gained weight or my BF increased…well I hesitantly went in and to my surprise, I am now back at 114 lbs and my BF was actually reduced by .6% for a total of 22.03%! Wow, I was happy with that. This is really the first time I have ‘cheated’ since entering this contest. I don’t plan on cheating anymore, but its hard sometimes when everyone else around me is eating foods that I used to eat without even thinking twice about the calories or fat content. The weekly weigh ins and BF testing at the Max Muscle store keep me motivated to continue to follow my diet and workouts. I want to see results and watch those numbers go down. I have always been the type of person that is determined and stubborn..I guess that must be the Taurus in me..lol…If there is something I want, I will do what it takes to make it happen. When I train, I am a perfectionist when it comes to form. Proper form ensures that I maximize each rep and keeps me from being injured. I had a rotator cuff injury several years ago and my right shoulder has never been the same. I went through physical therapy for 2 years because I kept re-injuring it. I needed to learn patience and also to listen to my physical therapist/doctor when they told me to ‘rest’ and take it slow and easy. Slow and easy were not in my vocabulary at the time, but I have learned to be patient. I get really frustrated when my form starts to get ‘ugly’ when my muscles are fatigued, then I need a spot to finish my reps. I use this frustration as motivation for the next set. I stay focused and concentrate on my range of motion, form, ensure I am isolating the muscle, and my breathing. My posture is very important also. I work on a pc all day long so I tend to bring my shoulders in which is something I constantly have to be conscious of when working out. Each workout is different because my trainer is always having me do different variations of each exercise. This also motivates me because I never know what he will have me do, but whatever he tells me to do I give it my all. When he asks me if I can go up in weight, I never refuse. I tell him all I can do is try and to my surprise, I end up being able to handle the increase in weight. Here is an example of my leg day routine:
Warm up/stretch – high step ups, high side steps (these are done on a very high step), squats on a bosu trainer, Kettle bell raises with squat while stepping on 2 balance balls (not sure exactly what these are called but they are ‘squishy’ and are used for core/balance), squat/high jumps, side steps using large band, leg extension 50-70 lbs 3 sets of 10.
Leg Press –
warm up with 2x45lb plates on each side
3X45lb plates on each side – 3 sets (wide 10reps/close 10 reps no rest in between)
4X45lb plates on each side – 3 sets (wide 10reps/close 10 reps no rest in between)
Drop sets removing plates from 4, 3, 2, 1 (wide 10reps/close 10 reps no rest in between)
Hack Squat –
Warm up 2X45 plates on each side
2X45lb plates on each side – 3 sets (wide toes out 10reps/close toes up 10reps/close ankles together/toes out 10 reps no rest in between)
45lb plates on each side – 3 sets (wide 10reps) isolate and slowly complete reps going as low as I can
45lb plates on each side – 3 sets (close 10reps) isolate and slowly complete reps going as low as I can
Leg Extension –
70lb – 3 sets (10 reps)
90lb – 3 sets negatives slowly bringing weights down (10reps)
Explosive Lunges with 40lb barbell – 3 sets (12 reps each side)

3 APR 10 Week 7 update: “Lookin like a FOO with my pants on the ground..”..lol…I don’t have any clothes that fit anymore..my skinny jeans are loose, even my belts don’t fit..People tell me I am getting too skinny and I keep telling them that this is a process. I am leaning down and building lean muscle. It doesn’t happen overnight. However, the changes that I am making in my eating habits and my commitment to exercising regularly will last a lifetime. I can’t understand why some people are making such negative comments. I am in the best shape I have ever been in my life; I am getting stronger mentally and physically; I have made adjustments to my schedule to ensure that I can maintain balance between my personal life and work. This can be challenging, but I make it work. My family has been supportive. My husband has been helping me out tremendously at home and with our kids. I love and appreciate him so much. Our kids have been wonderful. Our son was always athletic and in to sports and I think watching me work hard and stay fit has influenced him to start working out again. Our daughter is my official ‘Maxformation Photographer’; she takes all my photos and gives me advice on which suit to wear and posing. She has already had some modeling experience since she was 4, so she loves to show me how to pose and smile or ‘shmize’ as her idol Tyra Banks puts it. As for comments from the ‘haters’, I’m just going to brush it off my shoulder and keep on movin…This was an interesting week. I weighed in with my trainer at the gym and I was at 114, then I weighed in at MM and was at 116 and I lost 1% BF. My measurements again are not changing significantly, but if I look at my starting pics vs. my Week 6 pics and how my pants are falling off of me, literally, I think I am making pretty good progress. Although I won’t really be happy until I get my BF under 20%. I have to stay consistent and keep pushing forward. My workout schedule for this week:
Sun: REST
Mon: Cardio/Abs/Back/Bi/Ham
Tues: Cardio/Abs/Chest/Tri
Wed: Cardio/Abs/Shoulders/Quads/Calves
Thurs: Cardio/Abs/Back/Bi/Ham
Fri: Cardio/Abs/Chest/Tri
Sat: Cardio/Abs/Shoulders/Quads/Calves
Every time I work out, the routine changes even though I am working various muscle groups. I will post some of my previous workout routines. I do a lot of super sets and drop sets. Then a burnout set at the end. On some days I do the P90X routines. Starting next week my trainer told me I will do more isolation with specific muscles..yeah! I’ve been looking forward to this stage. I really want to see some dramatic results for my next picture updates which I am going to do every 6 weeks. I trained like this a few years ago and the results were amazing..however, at that time, I did not know how important nutrition was and maintaining a good clean diet with proper supplements. I have learned so much not only from Alan at the La Jolla Max Muscle store, but from other members of this site. ..oh of course my trainer, Marcus at 24 Hour Chula Vista Sport Gym. I am glad I finally made the commitment to entering this challenge, because it really is a life changing experience.
25 MAR 10 - Week 6 update - This was a tough week. I'm hungry every 2 hours, my energy level is below 0..I have just been so tired, but I did do all of my workouts cardio/weights this week...Oh yeah I also did the Devil Dog Duathlon last Sunday. It was awesome! I got a 'little' competitive though..I felt good during the first leg of the race (5K..although I haven't ran in a few weeks..I trained using the P90X plyometrics DVD...not the same as running; I just couldn't make it to the track this week) During the 30K bike ride, there was this gal in a younger division that kept passing me on hills..I got her on the straightaway...but she just kept comin out of no where and passing me uphills. I got kinda frustrated so I told myself I was not going to let her pass me again and I hit it hard the last 6 miles..I got a good enough lead and beat her on the ride..then in transition, I had absolutely no juice left in my legs..they felt like rubber..Anyways, as I dismounted my bike and started towards transition, this chick goes running her bike past me to the transition area. I was like..No Way! Well she ended up beating me by 2 minutes..yup a whole 2 minutes. I should've saved some energy for the last leg (5K). I was a good sport though and gave her a thumbs up at the end. I am going to have to redeem myself next year. Well I did improve my time from last year by over 10 minutes..Last year my knees were in pain at the beginning of the last leg; in this race, the knee pain didn't start until the last half mile...anyways, as far as my stats, I reached my goal of 115 lbs; but the BF is still high at 23%. My goal is 19%, then after that I want to see how far I can go and at that point I should be ready to compete. I finally took some updated pics. I can see some changes, although my measurements/BF haven't changed significantly, there definitely is a difference from my starting pics.
14 MAR 10 - Week 5 update - I started using P90X at home and I love it. When I first got the DVDs, I scanned through all of them while riding my bike trainer, to get a preview of what everyone has been raving about and I was very impressed. I did the Chest/Back and Legs/Back workouts this week. The only problem I had is that I have those old school dumbbells that you have to keep changing the plates and I had to pause the video several times to move on to the next exercise. I am going to invest the adjustable dumbbells. I just really don't have a lot of space for additional equipment. During this week I did the 53mi ride. I usually load up on carbs before any endurance activity and I just couldn't eat a huge plate of pasta. I used to be able to eat seconds..ok maybe thirds..lol, but I guess I have just gotten used to smaller portions. Anyways, I got really hungry during the ride and did eat protein/carbs at every SAG support stop. I felt dehydrated and hungry even several days later. After a couple of days I went to the MM store to get my BF tested, but because I was dehydrated the results were way off..so I rehydrated myself and went back today. No change in BF but I lost 1 pound. I decided to start using ThermXX and EXT. I also started taking L-Carnitine and L-Arginine. This week I will work with my trainer again Tues/Thurs and at home Mon/Wed. I am going heavy on weights this week. I will be doing the Devil Dog Duathlon this Sunday. I will be posting some updated pictures..I have seen some results..especially in how my clothes fit..or don't fit..lol..I think its time to go shopping.
4 MAR 10 - Week 4 was awesome! I am now working out with my trainer. Its been really hard for me to get a good workout at home. I have worked out with him in the past and he really pushes me to the limit. I will be working out with him Tues/Thurs and on my own Mon/Wed. I will continue doing the various races on the weekends, but at some point I will have to take a break from the endurance races and more on weights in order to reach my goals. My trainer changed my meal plan to a more strict diet with less shakes and more solid food..lots of protein of course..calories have been reduced to about 1400. My first week working out with my trainer was just to 'get me back into the mix' as he puts it, so we did circuits (Tues - Chest/Shoulders/Tri/Hamstrings/Abs, Thurs - Quads/Calves/Back/Bi/Abs). Starting next week we're gonna hit it hard and do more isolation. On the days that I work out on my own, I will also do more isolation exercises to shape and build my muscles. I will continue to do cardio early in the morning. I will be posting an article with my updated stats comparing my starting stats vs. Week 4. I lost 1 pound and 1 % body fat.
23 FEB 10 - Week 3 results indicate that I lost 3 pounds but no change in BF?? I do see some changes to my measurements, but I am just trying to figure out what I need to do or change to achieve my goals. I actually did meet one of my goals to weigh under 120..I can't remember the last time I weighed under 120..yeah!..now I need to bring my body fat under 20%. I am going to start getting my BF tested using calipers instead of the electronic device. I also realize more and more that in order for me to make progress, I really need to work out with a trainer. Since entering this contest, I have been working out at home on my own and I know I can do so much better when I have someone pushing me through and taking me to levels that I never ever thought I could achieve. I also realize that this journey is going to change my life forever by maintaining good clean eating habits and making the commitment to sustaining a regular workout schedule.
17 FEB 10 - Week 2 resulted in no weight loss but I lost 2% BF. I will definitely need to make some adjustments to get to my goal. I have been able to resist cravings and have really started to make clean eating a habit. I work out at home and have really tried to challenge myself but its just not the same as working out with a trainer.
7 FEB 10 - My first week I lost 4 lbs and 1% BF. Not too bad, but it was tough getting used to the meal plan.
31 JAN 10 - I have made the commitment to a lifestyle of healthy eating and working out regularly. It's important to me not only for my health and well being, but for my kids. I want to make an impact on their lives by showing them that if you are dedicated and work hard, you can achieve your goals one step at a time. Throughout the years I have read fitness books/magazines and learned about fitness from various personal trainers, nutritionists and physical therapists but I was never able to really put it all together and stick to a diet or workout routine because of my hectic and demanding work and home schedule. I am done making excuses. I want to transform my body and will do what it takes to reach my goals.

Teresa! Hot mama! how are you:) miss you too:( I hope you are doing well..and your family too. You really need to think about competing, you would look so beautiful on stage.take care, my friend, and keep in touch.

Hi beautiful I was just thinking about everyone & how much I miss our talks! I hope you are doing well my friend. Also, did you say you got your Max Muscle bra top at your local store? Or did you have to order it? I would love to have one!!! Hope you are doing well!
xoxoxoxo

Hi Henry, so nice to hear from you. thank you so much. I'm already getting ready for another competition and other races. I am 'bulking' up...yeah! I am taking in lots of calories and still use my Max Muscle iso extreme protein, XTR, ARM, Green Synergy, etc... How have you been? Are you keeping up with your workouts/nutrition? I miss my Max Muscler friends:)

Hi beautiful thank you for adding my friend Erin!!! I am so excited to walk next to her during her journey!!! I can't believe it has been almost a year. Time sure does fly. Also, good news my daughter started working out with me again & wants to go after school. How are things with you? By the way I love your suit that you wore for your competition where did you find it?

Hello my beautiful friend I hope all is well!!! Everything is still going great for me!!! My daughter came to me this week & wants to get back on the program again. She is also going to start working out me & another friend of mine at one of the gyms that I can go to. I was so excited & hope that she sticks with it. The friend that I am working out with is going to be doing the 2011 Maxform contest. She already has a Max page set up & is getting pumped. I am so happy for her & can't wait to walk next to her down the path of this next journey. If you get a chance send her a friend request she would love it. Her name is Erin Keith & she is from Bettendorf, Iowa. Also, I was wondering if you had a personal email addy that you can share with me. I was going to send you a picture that our store owner took while I was helping out with a promo. You can either blog it to me or send me a personal message!! Well you have a great weekend my sweet friend & I will be in touch. xoxoxoxoxo

Yes, my kids definitely keep me on my toes!!! But, I would not have it any other way. That is so awesome that your daughter is training as well. I have tried to talk my daughter into doing the same thing. But, like you said I am sure she will come around & get back on track. She actually did mention earlier this week that she wanted to start again. The only thing I can do is just continue to encourage her. I have completed my CPR training with a 2 year cert. I will be doing an online class though ISSA once I get the funds all together. I have been out of work since the 1st of the year so it is a slow process. I too want to get mine in one on one personal training & groups for boot camps. I have helped teach a boot camp that my trainers are doing & love it!! I would also like to eventually teach a yoga class & get certified in nutrition. I know that this is something that will not happen overnight. But, I will continue to keep the faith & focus on my dream. Take care my love & I will be in touch!!

Awwww sweetie same here!!! It always makes my day hearing from you!!! I think that you are amazing, inspiring & beautiful as well. I am so blessed to have found so many supportive & wonderful people through this website. You are definitely one of my special friends that help keep me going & motivated!! That is so awesome that you are doing a figure competition. I too plan on doing one but probably not until next spring. I know that the training & nutrition is a lot different than when we were going through the actually transformation. So, I am so excited to hear how things go for you & to see pictures. Where are you doing the show at? I did the carb cycling that last month of the Maxformation. I know it really takes a lot out of you & I got a ton of headaches. Then once the contest was over I had a real hard time remembering that I could add carbs back into my nutrition. Thank goodness I finally got that back under control again. Everything is still great with me. I am still working out & keeping up with my nutrition. I still have not found a job but I am working on getting my personal trainers cert. I have also been helping out at our local Max Muscle stores with special events & health fairs. I go & just share my experience on my transformation & talk about the nutrition. It is very easy to talk all day about that when you really have the passion & have gone through the experience. My daughter is doing great but has dropped off the band wagon of the nutrition & working out. Between her school work & getting ready for the homecoming dance there hasnâ€™t been much time. She is one that goes to bed really early because she gets up around 5 to get ready for school. However, once that is over I hope to get her started back again. How is your beautiful girl doing? How old is she again? And do you have any other children? I have a son that will be 12 then end of October. Now he is definitely the athletic on of the two. But, I love them both no matter what they do!!!

What do you mean your glutes/hams have started to develop? Remember when we first started talking and that was one of my first comments to you. You being an avid biker, you must have SUPER glutes now because you always had them to begin with :-)
I coudn't do my 10K last weekend with complications from surgery, but have a 5K next week and a 10K in October. I was asked to do appearances, radio spots, team with a MM nutritionist and speak - but I couldn't do any of those things as it would cause too much tension with hubby. So now I'm planning on just writing monthly articles for MM Hers. I have to finalize with the owner.
Good luck training and on your show! Keep us updated. Hugs!